Chapter Ten #2
A woman who handles herself well in a crisis, Betrys thought. Good, Leo needed stellar people on his side.
Leo grunted, his big body arching upward as the thing in his stomach protested the numbing agent Casey injected. It bucked and writhed beneath Leo’s skin.
Casey picked up the medical wand and made an incision.
Iseult screamed, daggers of pain transmitting from her head to the myriad tiny hooks on the ends of her legs.
White-hot and searing, it was agonizing.
Too much to bear. She collapsed onto the white floor of her web and curled into a ball.
The two on-duty guards rushed to her aid, but she struck out at them.
Hissed. One of her feet caught a guard in the leg, jerking him off balance.
He toppled with a loud thump then tried to scuttle from her reach.
Iseult screeched, the torture indescribable. The agony came from inside, radiated outward, much like her web.
“Take me to Tiraq,” she ordered, the words sharp and clipped in the Spiderus language.
“Six guards. Don’t care what that manager at the resort says.
” As soon as she relayed the command, some of the pain inside her subsided—enough for her mind to clear.
Tiraq. Yes, gut instinct told her she needed to travel.
Every part of her shouted the action was necessary.
“When do you want to leave, my lady?” one of the guards asked.
“Now. No, wait. Tomorrow. We will need to make preparations, gather weapons.” The blast of pain tailed off, Iseult uncurled her limbs and struggled to her feet. “I will prepare. Be ready to depart on the morn.”
Betrys couldn’t see much because Leo’s family crowded him, their faces full of tension, their bodies held in still readiness.
She kept holding his hand and watching his expression.
He watched her in return, and she caught the strain in his features, the worry, a trace of fear, and once again, guilt clawed her mind. All her fault. All her fault.
“Not your fault,” Leo whispered, his voice harsh.
“Fuck.” Saber’s voice held shock. “Is that what I think it is?”
“What is it?” Leo growled, a sharp demand. “A worm of some sort?”
“Not exactly,” Scarlett said. “It’s more of an egg sac.”
“Let me lift it out to see what we’re dealing with.” Casey set down her scalpel and exchanged it for a more suitable instrument.
Leo bit his bottom lip, his fingers clenching hers so tightly Betrys winced at the pressure.
“You’re hurting him,” Betrys croaked, and Leo slackened his grip a fraction.
“Don’t care. Don’t care. Get it out of me.” Leo clenched his jaw.
“I’ll do it as fast as I can,” Casey said.
Leo moaned and squeezed her hand again. Betrys bit on her tongue, determined not to distract Leo or Casey. They were right. The thing—egg sac or whatever it was—had to come out because it was endangering Leo’s health.
“Got it,” Casey said in triumph. “Slide that jar over here.”
“What is it?” Leo demanded. “What’s inside the egg sac?”
“Two creatures. They’re insects of some description,” Casey replied. “Ugh, they’re moving. Quick, put the lid on.”
Saber slapped a gloved hand over the top and held up the jar. “Where did you put the vinegar?”
“It’s here,” Sly said. “I’ll pour it into the jar.”
“Lid.” Saber fastened the top of the large jar then held it to the light.
“Tell me what they are,” Leo demanded in a hoarse voice. “I need to know.”
“They look like spiders.” Betrys pressed a hand to Leo’s chest to keep him flat. “Don’t move. Casey needs to suture you up.”
“Make sure there aren’t any more in there,” Leo ordered.
“That’s what I’m doing,” Casey said. “Hand me the sterilizer liquid.”
Scarlett passed her the bottle, and Casey sprayed the region.
“No, I don’t think anything else is in there. I’m going to close the wound now. We’ll know in a couple of days if there are more problems. I couldn’t see another foreign object, but we’re working blind here. There, all done. You’ll know when you’re ready to shift.”
“As soon as the numbness wears off.” Leo glanced at the jar and shuddered. “Are you sure you got them all?”
“I think so,” Casey answered.
“Thanks,” Leo said in a gruff voice and looked at Saber. “Help me to my room? I’m so tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Sure.”
Scarlett held up the jar and studied the contents with a moue of disgust. “They’ve stopped moving.”
“Yeah, I think the vinegar has done the job,” Sly said.
Casey set down her needle and stripped off her gloves. “Or it might have been because they weren’t quite ready to hatch yet.”
“Do you have anything to add, Betrys?” Saber asked.
Betrys shivered in ghoulish fascination as she stared at the things Casey had dug from Leo. “This has never happened before. I don’t think Iseult has any idea—that’s if she’s responsible.”
“She must be,” Felix said. “It’s too much of a coincidence that they grew in the wound she inflicted.”
Betrys nodded. “Iseult’s behavior has been off recently. Her guards too. I thought…maybe… I don’t know what I thought. I’ve never seen them act with…with such exuberance.” She shivered. “They’ve been singing, and it’s plain creepy.”
“While Leo is sleeping, we’ll work out a plan to retrieve your son.” Saber helped Leo off the table.
“In my room,” Leo said. “Need Betrys to stay with me.”
Saber frowned, his forehead furrowing, before he gave a clipped nod. Shades of Leo, Betrys thought. That was what he looked like when he was unhappy or thinking. The brothers were so alike. Even Scarlett’s facial expressions fell into line with her brothers. It was very obvious they were siblings.
“I’m in.” Felix straightened.
“Me too.” Casey’s chin lifted in challenge when her husband’s face screwed up into what Betrys was beginning to think of as the Mitchell scowl. “I’d be an asset at a clandestine job. You know it.”
Felix’s frown softened. “I know, sweetheart.”
“I’m in,” Sly said. “Joe will want to help too.”
Saber nodded. “Four of you should be able to do the job.”
“She hasn’t confirmed her booking yet,” Scarlett said.
“What if I contacted her and asked if she still wanted to stay at the resort, tell her it’s a courtesy call because there is a waiting list of women wanting to holiday at Middlemarch Resort.
If she doesn’t want to confirm her booking, then we’ll give her place to someone else. ”
Saber helped Leo stand and slipped his arm around Leo’s waist. “Good idea. Go do that now, because if Iseult doesn’t come to the resort, it will make Ricci’s retrieval more difficult.”
Ten minutes later, she and Saber were inside Leo’s room in his private bungalow.
“Do you think you can shift now?” Saber asked.
“No. Put the jar over there. I want to look at the egg sac later and know the things inside are dead.”
Concern flashed across Saber’s features as he placed the jar on a shelf filled with entertainment vids. “I’ll leave them here. If any of our men are tempted to sign Iseult’s contract, we’ll show them these.”
“Tell them her bite will rot their cock,” Leo said. “That should dissuade them.” He directed his steps toward his sleep-bed and staggered.
Betrys jumped to his aid, but Saber pounced first and hauled Leo upright. “Let me help you to bed.”
“Betrys.” Leo’s tone reminded her of Ricci when he was overtired.
“I’m right behind you.” She darted around them and hurried to his sleep-bed to draw back the covers.
“I need a coffee,” Saber said, once they had Leo tucked up in comfort. “You want one?”
“Yes, please.” Betrys paused in the doorway of Leo’s bedroom. “I’ve come to enjoy the Earth beverage.”
“Savor it while you can. The replicated stuff tastes of mud, and our stocks are low until we can figure out how to get a new supply or can start growing our own coffee.”
“Leo, do you want anything?” Betrys asked from the doorway to the lounge and kitchen area of the bungalow.
“Water, please. A pain pill.”
“I’ll bring them in. You rest.” She entered the food preparing area and found Saber making the coffee. Her steps faltered.
“What?” he asked without a glance over her shoulder.
A raft of goose bumps formed on her skin. Freaky. How had he known she was behind him? She hadn’t made a sound.
“Leo wants something for the pain.”
Saber turned then, his brow creased in that trademark scowl. “He should be able to shift. That should be his first instinct for self-preservation. He shouldn’t be asking for a damn pain pill.”
Betrys found herself taking a step backward, her gaze remaining on his agitated face. “D-don’t h-hurt me.”
Saber straightened, insult replacing his agitation. “I’m not going to hurt you. This isn’t your fault.”
“But it is. If I hadn’t—”
“You were doing what you had to do to protect yourself, your son. Don’t apologize for using your survival instincts,” Saber said in a hard voice.
“I’d do anything to keep my family safe.
” His mouth quirked giving the Mitchell scowl a new level of brutal intensity.
“I have done things I regret in order to help my siblings. Since I’ve committed the crime, it would be petty of me to resent you for doing the same.
” He advanced another step, and although instinct told her to run, she forced herself to remain rooted to the spot.
“I-I-”
“I repeat. I am not going to hurt you.”
A thump came from behind her and she whirled around, a tinny eep of shock squeezing from her throat. “Leo!” She was at his side in an instant. “Why aren’t you resting?”
“Not your fault. Wanted to help my family. Same thing.” Beads of sweat covered his forehead. “Not your fault.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her,” Saber said. “Betrys, get the pain pills. I saw a bottle on the counter.”
On trembling legs, she walked to the kitchen area and poured a glass of water then plucked up the tablets. When she entered the bedroom, Saber had Leo back on the sleep-bed. Leo’s face was pale, and he slumped against the headboard, lines of pain etched into his face.
“We’ll be in the other room,” Saber said once Leo had taken the pills and was reclining on the sleep-bed. “Shout if you want us.”
“Betrys,” Leo whispered.
She neared the sleep-bed and gazed down at him. “I’m here.”
“Don’t go,” Leo said. “Don’t leave me.”
“I promise. I’m not going anywhere. Please, Leo. You need to rest, so you can start healing.” She waited until his breathing slowed.
“Is he asleep?” Saber asked when she joined him in the other room.
“Yes, I think so. What do you need me to tell you?”
“Start from the beginning.” Saber waved her toward a seat.
He remained as he was, leaning his backside against the kitchen counter.
“From the moment you first met Iseult, and how you came to work for her. I need to know everything you know and have observed about Iseult and her people since your arrival. Her strengths. Her weaknesses. The weapons she uses to subdue her enemies. Everything.” Saber’s face was hard and radiated determination.
A shudder crawled Betrys’s spine. This man was dangerous, and she didn’t want to get on his bad side while he attempted to protect his family.
“Here, drink this.” Saber handed her a mug. Tendrils of steam rose from the liquid along with the scent of the coffee beverage.
Betrys wrapped her hands around the mug and took a sip. The bitter black liquid burned her tongue, and she spat it back into the mug.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Saber said, and a grin flashed across his face. The Mitchell grin she’d witnessed from Leo and from the siblings she’d seen on arrival at the resort. It was obviously a family trait along with the scowl.
Betrys ran her tender tongue over her teeth and winced. She took another cautious sip of her coffee, then started talking, prodded by Saber’s questions for clarification.
“So, you see,” she finished. “I saw her bite one of her guards a few months ago because he didn’t follow orders. Mostly, she rules by fear and the might of her guards. I told you I don’t know much.”
“No, you’ve been helpful. We know Iseult is able to paralyze with what we assume is a type of venom, but she prefers to secure them with cuffs.
That tells us she has limited ability, or she keeps that talent for emergencies.
And she applies the paralyzing agent with her mouth.
She seldom leaves her web, which tells us she feels more comfortable on her home turf. ”
“So what are you going to do?”
“If she contacts you, tell her there are several suitable men here. Tell her they’re Leo’s brothers, but that you need longer because they’re proving difficult and won’t sign a contract.
See what she says, but try to get her to come to the resort.
She’s already considered it, and with luck, she’ll be easy enough to persuade.
Getting her here—to our home ground—would be to our advantage. ”
“I doubt she’ll leave the mansion,” Betrys said, shaking her head in support of her words. “She attends the occasional social function but never stays long.”
“Because she doesn’t enjoy the social scene, or is it for some other reason?” Saber mused. “She never socializes with others of her species?”
“Apart from her guards. She’s never had any visitors of the same species.”
“There must be a reason for that. Scarlett needs to do more research.” Saber set down his coffee and straightened from his lean.
“I know it’s difficult, but we’ll have to get Iseult to come here somehow, so we can snatch your son.
Trying to get the better of the woman on her home territory doesn’t make sense.
I’ll be back later. Call me if Leo needs anything. ”
Betrys wandered after Saber, unsure of what to do next.
“Don’t forget. Call me if there are any problems.” Saber stepped outside and chuckled when a bright-blue bird waddled up to him. He stooped to pet the strange-looking creature before departing.
What was she meant to do now? Betrys scowled at the closed door.
“Betrys.”
The sound of her name galvanized her to action, and she rushed into the bedroom. “What is it? What’s wrong? Do you need something else for the pain?”
“No. Come and lie beside me.”
“But I might hurt you.”
“I need you, Betrys.”